Sudanese army commander General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and General Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Daglo, commander of Rapid Support Forces (RSF), are expected to meet in the coming days in a regional capital, according to sources.
Addressing officers at a military base in the Red Sea, Burhan announced Thursday that he had agreed to engage in negotiations to resolve Sudan’s monthslong conflict.
He expressed readiness to negotiate with the “militia” - a reference to the RSF. He added that he rejects any peace deal that humiliates the armed forces and Sudanese people.
Moreover, Burhan stressed that his forces would remain united and strong.
He further pledged to hold accountable the “cancer of the RSF” and every accomplice that led to the RSF’s capture of Wad Madani.
Several reports, including a one by Asharq TV, said Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Al-Sadiq handed a written letter to the Prime Minister of Djibouti and the Chairman of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) that Burhan is willing to meet Hemedti under certain conditions.
IGAD had suggested a meeting between the two generals, but Burhan refused.
On December 9, IGAD held a summit during which it was announced that the two men would meet to sign a ceasefire agreement and return to dialogue.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared that tireless efforts have led to the agreement over the meeting.
On the ground, clashes between the army and RSF erupted on Saturday in the southern villages of the Gezira state, central Sudan.
The Arab World Press quoted eyewitnesses as saying that army warplanes raided the RSF to prevent their progress in Sennar.
They added that the displacement continues from Wad Madani and the villages of Gezira state to the states of Sennar in the southeast and Gedaref, Kassala, and Port Sudan, in the east of the country.
